Lizard Kings

ABCJuly 18, 2010

They look like dragons. Armed with sharp teeth, tearing claws and a whip-like tail, these fearsome creatures are not only powerful, they're also smart. Top predators with intelligence, that learn as they hunt, and that use their brain to track down prey, no matter what.

From icy wastes to arid deserts, reptiles and amphibians have used their ancient, cold-blooded body plan along with sophisticated behavioural innovations to master the harshest environments on the planet. Using their ruthless hunting abilities, extraordinary camouflage, guile and downright physical toughness, they thrive where mammals and birds fear to tread.

Birds are supremely adaptable, capable not only of flying at phenomenal speeds and covering great distances, but of displaying a murderous nature, running on water in pursuit of love and even of building intricate structures.

Using specially developed underwater tracking time-lapse techniques, Life takes a journey to the uncharted corners of the ocean. It is here that the newest discoveries are being made and the strangest creatures live, from huge spider crabs which gather in their thousands, seeking safety in numbers as they shed their protective shell, to cross-dressing giant squid.

Every day, in the jungles, grasslands, deserts and frozen wastelands, battles are won, fought and lost between carnivores and their prey. See cheetahs join forces to bring down an ostrich; a tiny stoat take on a rabbit ten times its size; elephant seal pups snatched from their nursery pool by a killer whale; the antics of a squirrel as it outwits a rattlesnake; and at an amazing 2,000 frames per second, the strike of a bulldog bat flying at 100 kph.

Insects are the most diverse animal group on the planet. The key to their success is their unique ability to reshape themselves. They possess fearsome weapons, yet can display surprising tenderness and sophisticated behaviour.